New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-04
mn PRISON HABIT.

John Most complains that the American
prisons are much less comfortable than those
Il European countries. 1hS is interesting.
because hc is what may be- called IA professional
prisoner, and his opinion II IN the nature Oi
expert evidence. Tor a man Who, III theory,
is 80 fond Of freedom that he called his paper
hy that name, Most has enjoyed less OF II than
any other literary man We now recall except
the late John Bunlan. He has been breaking
INTO iail whenever 4 favorable opportunity
offered for nearly twenty years and III thai
time has acquired IA large and valuable penal
experience. lie Was first imprisoned III Austria
for one year only. though he had been sentenced
to five. Here he was treated. he says, with
great Difference had large room, and-thls
was evidently the feature he remembered with
most pica,urc-hc was not required To- do any
work In Germany. WhcIc hc again became
indebted 10 Government hospitality, the accom-
mudations were not 80 good, but he liked them
well enough to remain eight months. Soon
after emerging, he found that ordinary hotel
life was not attractive 10 him. and he secluded
himself again in Berlin for i year and hail.
the police entering into the joke with infinite
humor, and treating him just ~ If he were
a regular prisoner. After tins hc remained AT
liberty for "a considerable time. but the prison
habit. like Others, being hard to break he found
himself subject once more To Its spell. and
went up again
Up to this time his experiences had been
rather agreeable than otherwise, as Is usually
the case in the carly stages Of
indulgcnccs Of this kind. But now
The habit being firmly fixed he discovered that
he was completely a slave to it. II carried
him INTO Clcrkcnwcll Prison. England, where
he was Obliged to work. He lroncd shirts and
picked Oalirm. II is curious fact that the
frccr the country he was IN the scvcrcr was
his treatment III the JallS. England was far
worse than the Continental countries, and
America proves to be far worse than England.
Most came here, and after brief and unsuc-
ccssful struggle against the old fascination.
Welded to il and iandcd on EIIcllwclIs Island.
Here he had a room only half as large as that
he had in ClclkcnWcll, and was compelled TO
DO black smiths work. This, with the lncl-
dental bathing. brought on a state Of mind
which he could relieve on emerging only by
writing a book entitled "lIcIl on Blacliwcls
IIand.o
1t is surprising that Most should remain
where the iails arc not good. lie spends 50
large a portion Of his time in them that il would
be supposed a mere selfish regard for his own
comfort would lead him to take up his residence
i'm that country where the prisons have the
greatest number Of modern improvements arc
most handsomely furnished and have the most
luxurious appointments generally, and where
work is not on the bill Of fare at any time Of
day. He should 20 back to the Old World,
where they know how To order these things.
our ways in America are crude 1t is said We
know how to keep hotel, but it is clear that
We don't know how to keep Jail, and where
Most is concerned We arc not anxious To try TO
suit If he remains here he is bound Ia be II